Provides heavy-duty protection to new floors that doesn't limit the work area

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Editor's Review: Floor Protection on a Roll

by Michael Maines
review date: November 12, 2009

The design/build company I work for recently finished building a house with what seemed like acres of wide pine flooring. I’m happy to say that despite heavy foot traffic, the flooring survived an extended mud season without harm. This outcome is thanks in large part to Ram Board.

Unrolled, flipped over to keep the ends from curling up, and with seams overlapped and taped, Ram Board protects floors on multiple fronts. It keeps dust and debris away from the floor surface, but unlike rosin paper, Ram Board won’t tear, and it doesn’t cause stains when it gets damp. Its smooth surface also makes end-of-day sweep-ups an easy task.

At only about 1/16 in. thick, this 38-in.-wide dense cardboard does not block door swings or hamper the movement of job-site equipment, but it does provide a decent level of impact resistance. It’s not as forgiving of a dropped tool as plywood or fiberboard, but it’s a whole lot easier to carry up a flight of stairs.

I estimate that Ram Board could last for at least three good-size jobs, probably more if easy-release painter’s tape is used and if it doesn’t get too wet during use. Ram Board is surprisingly heavy, but still easy to roll up and haul to a job site. In a pinch, a corner can be torn off for use as a shim.

Schluter Systems -
DITRA-XL Tile MembraneSchluter now has a thicker alternative to the DITRA tile membrane, the DITRA-XL makes even transitions between tile and hardwood flooring and is a better choice when tiling over single-layer subfloors with joists set 24 in. o.c.